article · Journal of Academic Ethics
Cheating presents a substantial challenge within online distance education. An investigation focusing on first-year second-language students enrolled in two English modules at a South African distance learning institution explored the motivations, contributing factors, and potential solutions related to dishonest assessment practices. Through focus group discussions with learners, feedback questionnaires with markers, and individual interviews with lecturers, diverse forms of student cheating in online assessments were identified and acknowledged by participants. Viewed through the framework of the social cognitive theory of moral disengagement, specific cognitive mechanisms were found to encourage students to justify and pursue unethical conduct during evaluations. To counter these behaviours, suggested interventions include adopting more interactive module designs, delivering dedicated lecturer training focused on supporting learners, and establishing rigorous academic integrity policies to protect assessment credibility.
Online distance education relies heavily on the credibility of remote assessments. When students cheat, the validity of academic qualifications is undermined. Identifying why learners resort to academic dishonesty, alongside the psychological mechanisms that enable it, provides institutions with actionable insights. This knowledge allows course designers and educators to create supportive learning environments and effective integrity policies that safeguard the value of online degrees.
The abstract suggests early-stage pedagogical and policy recommendations rather than a direct commercial product. However, higher education institutions, distance learning providers, and educational technology developers could apply these insights to build more interactive instructional materials, lecturer development programmes, and anti-cheating protocols. The findings represent early conceptual guidance requiring further testing to evaluate the measurable impact and effectiveness of the proposed anti-cheating strategies in operational digital assessment systems.
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Abstract This study investigated cheating behaviours, contributing factors, and strategies to enhance the integrity of assessment in an online learning context. The researchers conducted an analysis of the literature on students’ motivation to cheat in online modules and noted that there is limited research on the specific reasons why students cheat in online learning contexts. To contribute to this knowledge gap, this study set out to understand cheating in two English modules with first-year second language students, in an open distance and e-learning institution in South Africa. The purpose of this study is (1) to investigate why students cheat in their online assessments, (2) to explore the contributing factors of cheating behaviours, and (3) to determine strategies to minimise cheating. Using qualitative methods such as focus group discussions with students, evaluation questions with markers, and one-on-one interviews with lecturers, the study found that cheating is a significant issue in distance education, with students admitting to various forms of cheating in online assessments. Using the social cognitive theory of moral disengagement, the study found that cognitive mechanisms motivate students to engage in unethical behaviour such as cheating. The study recommends implementing an interactive module design, lecturer training on student support, and stringent academic integrity policies to minimise cheating. There is a need for studies that explore the impact of cheating and the effectiveness of different strategies for minimising cheating and enhancing integrity in online assessment.
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DOI: 10.1007/s10805-023-09501-8
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